Magazine Addiction....

My life is dominated by magazines. I work for a magazine publisher, my mother publishes a magazine and I avidly read pretty much every women's monthly (actually to Mr P's disgust I pretty much subscribe to every women's monthly magazine - well it is so much cheaper!)

Each magazine represents a different side of the person I think I either am or aspire to be...

For example Grazia this is my guilty fashion pleasure. Jam packed full of clothes and bags and shoes I would love to be able to afford. It is also an upmarket "gossip" magazine so I can indulge my curiosity of how the celebs live without resorting to Heat style reporting of hiding in toilets with a camera phone (or at least that's how it looks sometimes).

Then there is Red which represents the me I want to become when I'm a grown up. Chic, professional and sleek. No wayward fashion choices or hair that isn't perfectly coiffed. Should I ever want to become a yummy mummy this is the bible to live by.

Next up is In Style again purely for the fashion lust it is a simple post work flick through that doesn't involve any serious thinking.

Of course this line up wouldn't be complete without Marie Claire now this magazine includes the De rigour aspirational fashion spreads (well the advertising has to come from somewhere) but also very well written in depth interviews and social comment pieces so you feel you are actually reading something worthwhile in between lusting after shoes.

She is the final in my glossy line up - and probably my favourite. I like the sometimes random mix of articles and fashion. This is the magazine that probably most reflects me at the moment (bar the children section) as the emphasis is on career and life balance something I think any woman with or without kids is acutely aware of trying to balance. Recent favourites have been some really good articles on how to get started with running (I've extracted all the articles and read them fully even if I haven't actually started the running part!) and the what to wear to work feature with proper clothes that don't either require a pop star budget or size 0 frame.

On top of this somewhat excessive amount of magazines I also subscribe to Wired I love the mix of techie articles with the clean graphics. And I learn something new every issue that is so irrelevant but compelling I can fascinate bore my friends stupid. The cover of the magazine also feels strange in a good way too!

I have the BBC Good Food magazine every month as I try to 1) gauge what the marketing team are up to for inspiration and 2) try and start cooking slightly more adventurously.

Then there is BBC Focus which again I get to compare with our title but also because the articles and images are so fascinating and indulges my inner scifi nerd with the space sections.

Then there is Slimming World magazine and BBC Knowledge and of course I love our own titles especially SciFiNow and How It Works...

Eek I think I'd better stop counting, is anyone else out there a magazine whore or is it just me?

Lx